Cocodona 250: How to Fuel Days of Nonstop Running
By The Feed.
The Cocodona 250 is as daunting as it is magnificent—a test of endurance through desert heat, Sedona’s red rocks, and Flagstaff’s mountain air. But what does it really take to fuel a body for 250 grueling miles?
Answer: A LOT
It truly takes a village…and The Feed is proud to be in it.
The Feed is supporting four athletes at this year's Cocodona 250, a 250-mile race from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, AZ. Now, this isn’t exhaustive nor complete. But one things for sure, athletes will lean on a variety of foods and nutrition to keep them fueled, mentally sharp, and oftentimes...just moving. They may cycle through gels during the hard bits, solids for some chew and substance, and even random foods to mix things up.
So, here's a glimpse into how different athletes are fueling and their go-to products they'll lean on for Cocodona.
Courtney Dauwalter
Known for her legendary performances at Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB—sometimes all in the same summer—Courtney has redefined what’s possible in long-distance endurance. But Cocodona presents a different kind of beast: 250 miles, point to point across the diverse terrain of Arizona with over 40,000 feet of climbing, technical terrain, and scorching temperatures. Courtney returns to multi-day racing 8 years after an overall win at the Moab 240 by over 10 hours. Fans and fellow athletes are excited to see how the queen of the pain cave will smile her way to an epic finish of the Cocodona 250 in 2025.
Courtney’s Go-To Products
Dan Green
Cocodona will be Dan’s 1st 200+ mile race. He is no stranger to the desert, having had success with a podium finish at Javelina Jundred and multiple top finishes at the Black Canyon 100k; however, he is untested at anything longer than 16 hours in a race setting. Dan will surely bring speed and an “efficient” approach to his first ultra ultra.
Dan’s Fueling Go-To Products
Jeff Garmire
With an extensive long trail and multi-day FKT background, Jeff might view Cocodona as a ”short” event. He is back in the race for the 5th time (he can’t get enough) and has a hunger to see what he can do. Jeff aims to get the most out of himself and see where he lies as the competition level in the field continues to increase over the years. Having placed 14th, 5th, 5th & 6th, it will be exciting to see if Jeff can crack the Cocodona code and land on the podium in ‘25 (maybe with the help of dialed nutrition)!
Jeff’s Fueling Plan & Products
Plan: 110g carbs/hour through Crown King with Precision 90 Gels and Skratch + 2 x Precision 250 salt tabs.
Begin using Honey Stinger Gels after Crown King and some Precision Caf. gels to Prescott, and then begin eating more real food.
Products:
Sodium Bicarbonate (to start the race)
and then supplementary real food like Dots Pretzels and Goldfish…
Randi Zuckerberg
After getting bitten by the “ultra” bug, Randi has gone all in on trail ultra running. Cocodona 250 will be her longest race to date, and she is both excited and terrified (her own words) about the task in front of her.
Randi’s Fueling Plan & Products
Skratch Labs Hydration & Tailwind Endurance Fuel (will definitely be relying on liquid calories during the hottest parts of the day!)
Photo Credits: Ryan Thrower